question about speed strength relating to max

[ryan53]

Hola. I have a question. I have been in contact with a man about lifting and increasing my max. I would think the closer you push it to your max each week, the higher you would go up.

But when I talked to him, he said the faster and more explosively you go, then you increase strength. He said do it at 60% to 65% of your max. Last time I checked, but say you bench 300 and you are constantly benching 195, since that's 65%, I would not think that would get you anywhere. Any suggestions?

 

[ballast]

Sounds a little like the Westside Training methods used by powerlifter Louie Simmons.He advocates 1 speed-strength session and 1 max effort session per week.If you are strictly doing the speed(65% 1rm) workouts, using the same sets and reps every time, I don't think it will improve your max strength too much either, but I could be wrong.One thing you could try is to use the same poundage but increase the volume every session.For example:
Week 1- Test for 1rm
Week 2- 65% 1rm/4 sets of 3 reps
Week 3- 65% 1rm/6 sets of 3 reps
Week 4- 65% 1rm/8 sets of 3 reps
Week 5- 65% 1rm/4 sets of 3 reps(This would be a recovery week)
Week 6- Retest for 1rm(If there is some validity to this concept, your max should increase, allowing you to start the cycle over again)

The reason for the low reps is that you are going for max acceleration on each rep.The higher the reps, the more you are apt to slow down near the end of the set as your muscles fatigue.The sets are relatively high because you are using a submaximal poundage.
Exclusively using speed workouts might be beneficial for certain athletes during a pre-season phase, but if you want to develop maximal strength, I think Simmon's 1 max/1 speed session per week would be better.
I have been doing a low rep acceleration set using around 60% of 1rm at the end of each bodypart session.It's only been a few weeks so I can't say whether it is beneficial or not, but I like the idea of speed work.

 

[DaCypher]

I would recommend each week increasing either the weight or your reps, even by very small increments. For example, squeeze out one more rep each week. I know a guy that adds 100 gram plates to increase his weights each time he works out. The increments are very small but they add up as time goes by and he is always increasing the weight...

Also, I wouldn't recommend doing a set/rep quickly. When you lift weights for speed you're just asking for injury. My philosophy is you never do a set too slow.

 

[Scotty the Body]

I think that for alot of us, the key to getting a bigger bench is to improve our other lifts the help our bench. Like our shoulders and tri's and other stabaliser muscles.

Get them strong and your bench is gonna go up.